Voters Go to Polls as Likud Factions Argue Over Winning Odds
Internal polling conflicts and heavy spending by outside groups define the final 24 hours before Israel’s October 27 election.
By Oliver Bennett ·
Isisraeli voters cast their ballots on Tuesday, October 27, as the ruling Likud party faces internal disagreement over its path to victory. The split occurred one day before the election, with some party members expressing confidence while others worried about intense mobilization efforts by rival camps.
Confidence within Likud rests largely on internal forecasts prepared by Shlomo Filber, who manages the party’s polling. A Likud source described the division as a binary outcome, stating, “Either Momo comes out a king, or Momo goes home. It’s one or the other.”
Party officials cited extensive activity by nonprofits and organizations that they said were spending large sums to boost turnout for parties opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This unofficial spending ran throughout the campaign and included social media pushes, physical signage, and field events. Specific efforts targeted Arab voters with transportation services and encouraged Israelis living abroad to fly home to vote. One source labeled the push “the nonprofits affair on steroids,” arguing it created a support network that bypassed standard party financing rules.
Likud also criticized the Central Elections Committee for focusing on video ads and public resource limits while overlooking the activities of these outside groups. However, party sources did not provide documentation to verify the specific funding amounts or to prove the activities violated the law.
On the ground, Likud prepared a large-scale operation for Election Day. The party aimed to prevent right-wing votes from drifting to smaller competitors. Negotiations to persuade Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, who leads the People of Israel party, to withdraw from the race failed. Winter’s position was reinforced when Rabbi Eli Sadan issued a statement in his support. Likud also courted supporters of the joint ticket of Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha. In a related move, the Ahi party, led by Rabbi Abergel, dropped out of the race after discussions with Likud. Those talks included a proposal to allow the Ahi party to appoint a deputy minister.
The election date was set for October 27 to allow Netanyahu’s government to complete its full term. A survey released days before the vote indicated that nearly one-third of Israeli voters had not yet decided who to support.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
